Goodness. I was logged off for the evening. Until I read this story at Salon. This story really captured the feeling at We Are One. I wasn't there but I watched it so I kind of felt like I was there. The feeling is change has come to America. I don't recall any sort of joyous behavior or celebrations when George Bush took office.
Anyway, Garth Brooks stole the show. Video here. From Salon:
If you'd told me that Garth Brooks would sing more songs than any other entertainer, including Beyonce, Bono and Bruce Springsteen, I'd have been prepared to be disappointed. But for me one high point was Brooks doing the Isley Brothers' "Shout" – it helps if you saw the movie "Wedding Crashers'" great montage showing lame cover bands doing "Shout" at weddings of every race and culture, Jewish, Indian, Irish, African American. Yes, I'll admit that made me think of Obama presiding over a sappy interracial wedding, and watching that sea of arms flying up every time Brooks said "throw your hands up" was one of my favorite moments of the day.Pete Seeger was my favorite moment as well. But Garth really got everyone going. Who knew he was such a great entertainer:
The genius of the whole event was the culture mashup – readings presented by duos like Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx, Jack Black and Rosario Dawson, Laura Linney and Martin Luther King III, Forest Whitaker and Ashley Judd – yes, Jack Black. Likewise, Jon Bon Jovi and Bettye LaVette's duet on Sam Cooke's Obama anthem "A Change is Gonna Come" was extraordinarily moving. My personal high point – I'd have braved the cold and crowds for this moment alone – was Pete Seeger and his son, joined by Springsteen, singing all the lyrics to "This Land is Your Land" – and watching Obama sing along. The only remotely controversial note (beyond Robinson's prayer for anger at discrimination) was when Bono called the values embodied in Obama's election "an American dream, an Irish dream… a European dream, an African dream, an Israeli dream,” and then added: “And also a Palestinian dream.”
And yes, then there was Garth Brooks. The entire crowd – young, old, black, white, Latino, Asian, everyone – seemed to sing along to "American Pie," including Obama, which could mark him, generationally and culturally, more than anything else that happened today. Who knew they knew all the words? I didn't until today (actually, Brooks wisely shortened it.) And I couldn't help but see Brooks, singing along with a multiracial youth choir, as another part of Obama's outreach to red America, a real reminder that he doesn't plan to be president of Blue America, or Red America, but the United States of America. I hope Republicans get the message. Read more at Salon.
See more photos here.
Here's a terrific collection of photos.
U2 video here
Beyonce finale here.
Will.I.Am and Sheryl Crow here.
NPR has some terrific photos here.
See Bruce here.
U2 video here
Beyonce finale here.
Will.I.Am and Sheryl Crow here.
NPR has some terrific photos here.
See Bruce here.
Another large selection of photos here.
NYT has collected reader-submitted photos here, which are brilliant.
Here are Pete Seeger and Bruce:
Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi
